1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera control apparatus and a camera control method, and particularly to a camera control apparatus and a camera control method capable of storing preset information on a camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a camera known to be capable of registering a plurality of patterns of camera state information as preset information formed of a pan coordinate, a tilt coordinate, a zoom position, a white balance value, and other parameters of the camera. In a camera of this type, the preset information is typically stored in a memory or any other suitable storage in the camera. The stored preset information is read as necessary, and the setting contained in the preset information is reflected in the camera.
However, since the capacity of the memory built in the camera is limited, the number of positions that can be registered as preset information is inevitably limited by the capacity of the memory. That is, when the number of pieces of preset information that can be set in a camera in use is, for example, sixteen, a seventeenth piece of preset information cannot be registered. On the other hand, since cameras have been used in a variety of applications, more users have been requesting increase in the capacity of storing preset information. To increase the capacity of storing preset information, an apparatus that controls the action of a camera stores preset information on the camera under control in some cases.
For example, JP-A-2004-201241 discloses a camera control apparatus including a camera capable of performing pivotal actions and an operation unit that controls pan, tilt, and other actions of the camera. In the technology disclosed in JP-A-2004-201241, the operation unit stores the actions of the camera performed when the camera is operated manually through the operation unit.